SHC takes suo motu notice

SSP says the two victims were raped, but not gang raped

KARACHI/HYDERABAD:

Sindh High Court Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh on Wednesday took suo motu notice of of new about kidnapping and rape of a minor and a woman in the Naukot area of the Mirpurkhas division.

The top judge of Sindh has summoned Mirpurkhas DIG and Naukot SSP on February 15 at 12 noon with the report of the incident. The Registrar Sindh High Court issued a notification in this regard.

The Mirpurkhas SSP has denied the report that a woman and her underage sister in law were subjected to gang rape and later they were also paraded naked over clash among two clans of Rajput and Tangi families.

Talking to the media, the SSP Capt (r) Asad Ali Chaudhry said though the rape has allegedly happened but the reports about parading the women naked or of the gang rape remain unfounded. "The victim F says she was raped by one person and K also made a similar statement," the SSP disclosed.

According to Ali Raza Rajput, complainant in the rape and kidnapping FIR, 20 armed men barged in his residence around 11pm on February 6 in Village Muhammad Hanif Rajput in Naukot, Mirpurkhas. They beat the complainant and took away his 19 years old wife and 14 years old sister who were later recovered by the police after few hours. The initial medical reports of both the alleged victims, issued by Rural Health Center of Naukot, stated that "there is no mark of violence seen on the body".

The SSP visited the Rajput family and assured them that the police would assure that the culprits were brought to the book. Chaudhry told the media that the Rajput and the accused Tangri family live in the same neighbourhood.

Read More: Housemaid allegedly kidnapped, gang-raped

A man from Rajput community, Mustafa Rajput, eloped with a woman of Tangri community, Khursheeda, last week and that in reaction the latter attacked the residence of the former. He informed that the police have so far rounded up 12 of the 20 accused persons while action has also been taken against policeman Gulzar Tangri, who allegedly connived with the accused kidnappers and rapists.

He apprised that there are two main accused persons and one of them, Nawab Tangri, has been arrested while Ali Nawaz Tangri is still at large. Responding to a question, the SSP said the police may insert a section of Anti Terrorism Act on demand of the affected family but after conclusion of an ongoing investigation.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan visited the affected family and expressed solidarity. MNA Salahuddin deplored that the Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Inspector General Sindh Police seem silent over the incident. He demanded that an independent medical board should be immediately formed to examine the victims and the accused.

MPA Rashid Khilji said a local MPA belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party is supporting the accused persons who happen to be their voters. "Murad Ali Shah should come clear and the PPP's women leaders who champion lawmaking for protection of women should either burn those laws or ensure that these girls get justice," Khilji said.

Separately, the PPP's local MPAs Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah and Mir Tariq Talpur also visited residence of the affected family and expressed their complete support. "We stand in support of this family and the culprits will be brought to book," said Shah. The two MPAs asked SSP Mirpurkhas to arrest Ali Nawaz and other accused persons in 24 hours.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2022.